Lakers head coach JJ Redick has continued to express that Kessler (finger) and Sexton (lower leg) are dealing with minor injuries, but he was noncommittal about them being in the lineup for the Lakers’ next preseason game on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas.

“I would say we’re not committed to that. He definitely, he was in practice today. No live today but he did everything else,” Redick said of Kessler after Saturday’s practice. “So he was in for about half of practice. We’ll see tomorrow if he can do live and we’ll see Monday. We’ll probably do some live Monday but more of a teaching day and a film day. So we’ll see. I can’t commit to that now.”

Redick expanded on what Kessler has not been able to do in practice.

“Just live. He was a live participant initially and then we were doing a drill and he hit his finger on the backboard,” the head coach said.

Redick also revealed that Sexton is a little behind Kessler in his recovery.

“Collin was modified again. He probably is a little bit further behind (Walker Kessler).”

One positive update that Redick did provide what that Arthur Kaluma was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, although Ziaire Williams was limited due to a minor injury of his own.

“Kaluma came back today. He was a full participant. Ziaire is still dealing with that kind of foot contusion. Again, it’s not a concernm” Redick said.

Redick continues to express his lack of concern about all of these injuries, but the hope for him is to have his full roster available in one of the final two preseason games.

JJ Redick discusses keys to non-Walker Kessler lineups

Without Kessler on the floor this preseason, the Lakers have had to make due with Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center and Redick discussed the keys to those lineups.

“I think it’s important to have to of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” he said. “That was a concern just coming into the year, trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court?

“I think in film it’s pretty apparent we need to do a better job of boxing out, just simple stuff and gang rebounding. That hurt us the other night. We’ll figure that out, but I think the biggest thing is trying to keep with same sort of limited playing time and getting guys reps and building them up. But having two bigger wings out there, Luka, Adou, Mamu, whoever that may be, as a wing with non-Walker lineups.”

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Of course, much of the attention for that will go towards the likes of Bronny James or rookie first-round pick Cameron Carr, but the team has a very intriguing two-way player as well in guard Chris Mañon. And head coach JJ Redick made it clear that the Lakers are very much invested in him and his overall development.

“Really like Chris,” Redick said of the two-way guard. “You know we had him in for a draft workout, I think we maybe had him in for two draft workouts. Then he was with Golden State during the California Classic and really popped against us, so we started working that pretty much immediately with his agent because he wasn’t on a two-way. So we’re invested in him and we’re invested in his development, in his career. I thought he played really well against Sacramento. I don’t think any of our guards played well against Golden State.”

In that game against the Sacramento Kings to kick off the preseason, Mañon finished with 12 points and five rebounds, getting to the free throw line 10 times in just 12 minutes. And while the Lakers were blown out by the Golden State Warriors in their second game, Mañon did total seven points, four rebounds and two steals.

Where Mañon shines most is on the defensive end. Last year while playing for the South Bay Lakers, he was named to the G League All-Defense Team, averaging 2.0 steals per game to go along with 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He has the potential to be an extremely effective point-of-attack defender at the NBA level and had a strong showing for the Lakers in Summer League as well.

The key for Mañon’s ability to graduate from two-way player to an NBA rotation piece will be his outside shot. He shot just 32% from 3-point range in the G League last season on just more than two attempts per game, though he was better in Summer League, knocking down 38.5%. There is clearly something there and if the Lakers can develop him properly, they could have a real contributor on their hands.

Lakers’ Walker Kessler gives update on finger injury

One player who has yet to suit up for the Lakers this preseason has been center Walker Kessler. The big man has been dealing with a minor finger injury and gave an update as to when he hopes to return.

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In 25 minutes, Reaves put up eight points, five rebounds and eight assists on 2-for-7 from the field. Mamukelashvili knows the type of player Reaves is and is already enjoying having him as a teammate.

“Well, he gave us 40 (points) I think last year in Toronto, so I’ve definitely seen a lot of him,” Mamukelashvili said of Reaves after Thursday’s preseason win. “Training camp, he plays so free. He’s such an easy guy to talk to, you can always go up to him and ask him questions. I would say he has very good leader tendencies, he’s going to give you motivation. Before every game, he comes to me and tells me to play my game. So, it’s cool having him.

“I think today he came out, he was playing hard, he was playing his brand of basketball and he was diming. He did amazing and first game when you come back, it’s always a little wobbly. But I think he did his thing and that’s Austin. He can come out and get hot any second. So for the role players, we always gotta be ready cause there’s so much attention on him. That’s where we can find little spots to help him out.”

Mamukelashvili was feasting on drive-and-kick opportunities from the Lakers guards as Reaves already knew to look for him. The versatile forward found himself in positions with wide-open 3-pointers and he made those opportunities count, which led to a 19-point performance.

Head coach JJ Redick wanted more dynamic players this offseason and the former Toronto Raptor demonstrates those qualities. As teams key on Luka Doncic and Reaves, it prompts opportunities for Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and potentially Ziaire Williams to score on lop-sided defenses.

Additionally, Los Angeles’ guards are unselfish and more than willing to make the right play. Hopefully, the role players take advantage of those opportunities and Mamukelashvili seems ready to do exactly that.

Sandro Mamukelashvili celebrated signing with Lakers in perfect way

When Mamukelashvili officially committed to signing with the Lakers in free agency this offseason, he revealed he celebrated in a way that featured playing an iconic song from L.A. rapper Snoop Dogg.

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One player who has certainly made a great case so far is LaRavia, one of the only returning players from last season’s roster. The wing had his best game of the preseason so far on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings and head coach JJ Redick noted the confidence he is shooting the ball with right now.

“I think Jake had a really nice base and foundation to shoot with so it wasn’t like he was completely revamping his shot,” Redick said following the Lakers’ 4-point victory. “It was small tweaks and ultimately the tweaks don’t matter if they don’t give you confidence. I feel like he’s shooting the ball with a lot of confidence right now and he feels confident in his shot. A great summer shooting the ball. Has had a great training camp of practices shooting the ball and that’s carried over to games.”

LaRavia’s struggles down the stretch of last season have been well documented as his confidence, particularly in his jump shot, tailed off as the season went on and he eventually fell out of Redick’s rotation in the playoffs. But he took the offseason to really refocus and lock in, and it is showing up so far in the preseason.

On Thursday, LaRavia finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 3-of-6 from 3-point range to go along with four rebounds and three assists. So far in three games, he is averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks on 63.6% shooting and 54.5% from deep.

Redick has said that everyone will get an opportunity at some point during the season so there is no doubt that LaRavia will have his chances. But if this level of play, and especially shooting, can carry over into the regular season, he will have a regular spot in the rotation and make up for how last season ended.

JJ Redick hoping for one fully healthy Lakers preseason game

Last season, LaRavia was the only player on the Lakers to play in all 82 games and he has suited up in all three preseason games so far this year. Unfortunately, there are a couple players who have yet to play in the preseason so far and Redick is hoping to get at least one game in the preseason with a completely healthy roster.

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Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in the second half and Lakers coach JJ Redick came under a lot of criticism as L.A. trailed by 31 at the half. Most believed Doncic shouldn’t have returned as he had tweaked that hamstring in the first half. But Doncic put the blame on himself, saying his stubbornness and desire to win pushed him to try and play and admits regretting that decision, via Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:

Those last few DNPs were haunting. On April 2, almost two weeks before the start of the postseason, Doncic suited up against Oklahoma City. Late in the first half, he tweaked his left hamstring. At halftime, the Lakers trailed by 31. Dončić could have called it a night. “I should have,” he says. He didn’t. Five minutes into the third quarter, Doncic pulled up with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. His season was over. Effectively, Los Angeles’s was finished, too. Lakers coach JJ Redick took heat for the decision to leave Dončić out there. Doncic says any finger-pointing should be directed at him.

“When it comes to my spirit of trying to win, I am just stubborn,” says Doncic. “I felt a little bit in the first half that I should have just stopped. I should have come out. I think we had a team that could compete for the championship. I definitely regret it.”

Doncic is someone who always thinks he has a chance to win, even in the worst of situations, so it isn’t a surprise that he pushed to give it a go. Unfortunately, that decision cost him the season and Redick deserves some criticism as well as sometimes you have to protect the player from himself, especially when he has already tweaked that injury.

Ultimately, that is now in the past and Doncic is completely healthy going into this season and looking to return this franchise back into championship contention. And as long as he is on the court, the Lakers have a chance against anybody.

JJ Redick impressed with Luka Doncic’s conditioning

Doncic continued to put in a ton of work into his body this summer, coming into camp in outstanding shape and even Redick admitted to being impressed with his conditioning.

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